Method of blending wheaten



. cnasram e. 3115mm, or LIBERTY, mssounr, ASSIGNOR ro THE camrnnnr. mi icom-ram, or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, a. conromrron OF DELAWARE METHOD OFBLENDING WHEATEN.

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residing at Liberty, in the county ofClay and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Methods of Blending Wheaten; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact descriptlon of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to a method of controlling the fermentationperiod of bakery products and particularl bread, rolls and the likethrough the use 0 hydrogen ion concentration.

Considerable diflicultyis encountered in bakeries to obtain a uniformproduct from day to day. This is due to the fact that the hydrogen ionconcentration in different flours varies so that the period offermentation of the dough batch for one flour is liable to give anentirel different result as applied to another kin of flour provided allother variables remain constant.

I have provided means whereby difi'erent flours (having referencespecifically to wheat 'flour) can be blended so that a uniform productcan be provided to insure that the period of fermentation for the doughbatches made therefrom 'will be uniform. I have discovered a methodwhereby a uniform dough batch can be provided from day to day by makingan analysis of the hydrogen ion concentration of the various flours andthen combining them in appropriateproportions to provide a blended flourhavlng a definite hydrogen ion concentration so that the required riodof fermentation can be accurately etermined provided all the othervariables remain constant.

In carryin' out the method to blend two flours, each our is subjected toa hydrogen ion concentration test preferably by hydrogen electrode andthen proper proportions of the two flours are blended together to givethe hydrogen ion concentration desired For example, if the flour to beused in the dough batch is to show an initial hydrogen ion concentrationof .155x10-5 and one of the flours shows a hydrogen ion concentration of.852x10-6 and the second flour shows a hydrogen ion concentration of'.226x10-5, the two flours can be blended by bringing them together inthe ratio one-to- Applioation flled september 6, 1921. Serial No. 498391.

one'or two equal parts. The resultant test of the blend will show a h drcentration of .155x105,. V ogen Ion con resultant sou ht to be obtainedand, knowmg the definlte hydrogen ion concentration .of the flour to beintroduced into the dou h batch, definite calculation can be made or therequlred fermentation period to cond1t1on the dough. Therefore, theperiod of fermentation can be definitely controlled bv combining the twoflours in their proper proportlons.

If a blend is to be made of four different flours, substantially thesame process will be followed. For example, if the first flour shows ahydrogen ion concentration of .921x10 6, the second flour hydrogen ionconcentration of .308x10-5, the third flou hydrogen ion concentration of.217 x10-5 and the fourth shows hydrogen ion concentrawhich will be thetion of .126x105, the blend can be produced to show a hydrogen ionconcentration of .15 5x10-5 by blending the flours in the followingproportions: The first flour 29%, thesecond flour 11%, the third flour20% and the fourth flour 40%, and the resultant product will show ahydrogen ion concentration of .155x105. Having found the correct periodof time at a iven temperature in which the dou h atch will be mostperfectly conditione either natural or blended showing a hydrogen 1onconcentration of .155x10-5, it is obvious that the period offermentation of the dough batch with any kind of flour can be controlledby properly blending the flours to show a hydrogen ion concentration of.155x10-5,

The above figures are simply illustrative because the baker may findthat a different hydrogen ion concentration will be required The processof blending-the flours, however, to fix the hydrogen ion concentrationwill be effected irrespective of variations 'in the results to besought.

I have found it to be possible to determine the hydrogen ionconcentration of the wheat before it is converted into flour and byproper-proportioning or blending the wheat, the resultant flour w llhave a definite hydroen ion concentration and when this is with a flour,for different purposes or diflerent localities.

own, the period of fermentation of the dough batch can be easilydetermined.

In order to determine the hydrogen ion verted into flour, the wheat isconnection with the flour.

concentration of the-wheat before it is conround to a fine meal. Thenten grains of t is Wheaten are placed in a bottle containing 100 c. c.of water, free of carbon dioxide, and 1 c. c. of toluene is added tocheck fermentation. The bottle is closed and shaken for about thirtyminutes, then the suspension is centrifu ed and the hydrogen ionconcentration of this decanted liquid determined. To de-,

termine the hydrogen ion concentration llv prefer to use the hdyrogenelectrode method as described in the publication entitled Determinationsof hydrogen ion b W. Mansfield Clark, published 1920b illiams andWilkins Co, of Baltimore, Mfiaryland.

After the determinations are obtainedthe percentages are determinedmathematically; for example, as above described in The calculations canthen be checked by making the actual blend and applying thedetermination.

My invention also contemplates the blendin of the mill streams from thebreaking ro is in the mill and in applying the method to the millstreams, it is obvious that samples of the mill streams may be taken andanalyzed for hydrogen ion concentration and that these streams canbe'properly proportioned to give a definite value so that the finalflour will have the proper hydrogen ion concentration to insure adefinite period of fermentation of the dough batch when the flour isbeing converted into bakery products.

In order to generically define the invention so as to include wheat inthe berry,

wheat products from the breaking rolls or the final flour, I will usethe term Wheaten as comprehending any form of wheat or wheat product inwhich it is desired to control the fermentation period duringtreatmenace ment either for the purpose of buying or selling wheat orany of the products or converting it intobakery products. a

.With the above method, the baker may buy wheat or flour with a definiteknowledgeing it into bread and the miller may control his flour byblending the Wheat, the mill streams or the flour itself so that he cansell to the baker with a definite assurance that the hydrogen'ionconcentration is'of a given value.

' What ll claim and desire to secure by Lettors-Patent is: v

1. The step inthe method of controlling the fermentation period ofthedough batch for bakery products which consists in determining thehydrogen ion concentration in the flour and permltti'ng the dough batchin whichthefiour is incorporated to continue of the kind oftreatmentrequired in convertfora period-out time having adefinite relation to thehydrogen'ion concentration pres ent. v

2. The step in the process of controlling the period of fermentation ofthe dough .batchin which all variables remain constant In testimonywheret T afix my signature. I

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